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Monday, July 02, 2007

Happy Independance Day

Howdy!

Hope you all had a wonderful June. I just wrapped on the movie Big Game this week. Now the long post process begins. When our work infront of the camera ends, the major part of the work begins with the editing and color correction, the sound, the music, the sound effects and mixing, the visual effects, and the marketing. It is a massive undertaking to produce a movie and I am always in awe of any movie that actually makes it in front of an audience. It's something to remember that even the worst movie you have ever seen took a large team of people and a mountain of passion and drive to complete.

So this week in the states we are celebrating Independance Day (AKA July 4th). If you think about it, gaining independance by definition involves loss. You have to give up the crutches that hold you back from your true potential. In the case of the United States, back in 1776 our courageous forefathers chose to give up the security of their former government to manifest their own destiny and ultimately a whole new nation. Loss is invariably painful, but look at what amazing things have happened in your own life because you had the courage to overcome loss and embrace change.

Wherever you may be, this week is a great week to consider and appreciate your own independance and ability to make your own proactive decisions - weather that be making a movie, or creating a Hard Rock Cafe pin, or gardening, or playing the piano.

17 Comments:

Hey Chris, Congrats on the finish of filming - so, I'm curious, is this the point when there would be a "wrap" party or does that occur when the film is actually "in the can" as I think they used to say?

I'll be celebrating the fourth at Cedar Point (often voted the world's best amusement park) with my brother and riding the new Maverick coaster. It promises to be a long and fun day though. The rest of the family is out of town for the week so he and I decided to do something ourselves. Though we live a couple of hours drive apart we thought that meeting at "the point" would be fun.

happy Independance Day! I just got back from watching Die Hard 4.0 - if you like a good action movie this one is for you, it's bigger and better than the previous three and we loved every minute of it. Great photography, breathtaking stuntwork and a big bow to those of the crew who had to clean up the mess!!!

July 4 is no holiday here - for obvious reasons - but I might get a little more independant just the same as I have a job interview next week for a position here in town which would save me over 10 hours commuting time each week if I get it. Fingers crossed!

I totally agree with you Chris, overcoming loss and embracing change opens up a lot of new possibilities - I think we all have been there before. I find, it always makes me stronger and perhaps sometimes even a little wiser.

Wow, great work from Adrian. Thanks for posting this, Chris. Origami is also on my list of things I would like to learn one day. But, one thing at a time.

Big hugs to you all,

Ute

P.S. Does anyone have a recipe for the Red Velvet Cake Chris mentioned? Sounds delicious; I feel getting wider just writing the name ;)

ChrisCongratulations on the wrap. I think most of us would be surprized at how much behind the scenes production it takes to make a film. I know that on the DVDs that contain "The Making of" footage, I tend to enjoy that as much as the movie. I'm not sure if that is good or bad.

Dave, if you are like me, the only place to sit on a roller coaster is the very front seat. To me, it is worth the extra wait. Enjoy.

Utewww.allrecipies.com has quite a few Red Velvet Cake recipies....all of which look really good. I must admit that, by choice, I didn't have a cake for my birthday. My diet has been pretty "clean" and I hope to keep it that way but Red Velvet Cake with a good cream cheese icing could make me cheat should one appear (then disappear) in the house.

I have been on vacation the last few days and the 4th will mark my last day of "freedom" from my job. I almost made it through but at 8 am this morning my office called me with a problem so I spent about an hour making phone calls and getting it all straightened out. As far as activities on the 4th, we are expecting rain so the only thing that is for sure is that I will meet my training partner at the gym at 7 am. The rest of the day will be left up to Mother Nature and we will design our plans accordingly.

I hope you all have nice weather where ever you are and you make the most of what you are given for the day

To my dear forum family, Happy Independence Day to you all year long! When you think about it, each new day is an independence day, because each day brings a new dawning. Nothing stays the same. Except intangible things…like friendship...and the love we have for one another. I see a little bit of a contrast here regarding independence. Like making a great movie, the Declaration of Independence, for example, was made possible by the massive team effort and the loyalty of a group of people to a cause they believed in. While I haven't determined for sure that I'm a descendant of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, I've been tuned in to my family story of that, so have always been sensitive to that courage of our forefathers. And my gratitude again, Chris, for checking that out at Independence Hall when Legends was in Philadelphia. It was so thoughtful of you to do that for me. One day I hope to know for sure. Another topic on my never-ending to-do list: Work on my family tree. (BTW, sometimes I think it would be fun to have a forum family tree!) I truly believe that one reason our forefathers had the courage to step forth into independence was their faith in their mutual cause and their shared commitment to each other to make it happen...working together while hammering out their differences, while staying focused on their common goal and making things work for a right outcome for all. I believe, too, that they saw themselves as part of a divine plan. And when you feel you're in the midst of something bigger than you are, that your little part in it makes a difference to that outcome, then the passion comes alive in you and you'll work your heart out to achieve it. Our forefathers followed their hearts. They believed in each other, therefore they were capable of bearing their losses and embracing the changes they knew carried the potential for a greater destiny for all. Wow, Dave, how was Maverick? Yes, Patrick, Cedar Point is a destination location for lots of folks in MIchigan, although we haven't been there for a number of years. Looking forward to your update Dave! Saw a reference to a San Diego coaster The Giant Dipper, which opened July 4th 1925 and has an amazing story behind it. I imagine our forum host has been on that. -- I, too, enjoyed the chance to view Adrian's pin. It's beautiful! And the origami is wonderful. I agree with Ute, I’d like to learn how to do some of that, too! Great weather here too Patrick for the 4th. Saw the local fireworks. Takes a lot of fundraising each year to have them, but a wonderful way to commemorate the holiday and its meaning. Tim, thanks for the recipe tip. In these parts the favorite is Hoosier Cake, even though none of us are Hoosiers! And I, too, love to watch the extra stuff on the dvds now that I'm more interested in the art of filmmaking. So Chris, promise us you'll have lots for your fans to enjoy in the movies you produce during your career! Have fun making your daily declaration of independence everyone, and may every day bring you beautiful fireworks for your soul’s passion and enthusiasm to light the way on your journey. Sue

Hello everyone, Yes, I did get to Cedar Point yesterday and as usual had a good time. We ended up staying a little longer than anticipated because they did have a nice fireworks display at the end of the day and what is the 4th of July without fireworks (in the US at least!)?

Tim - oddly enough, I'm not a front seat rider, it's usually not worth the extra wait time to me. Now the back seat...

Patrick - there really isn't another park that I have been to which is quite like Cedar Point. The main attraction is the roller coasters, and once again I believe they have more coasters than any other park on the planet (17 - many which were record breakers when built) and since it is a "traditional" park in the sense that there aren't themed areas as in most other parks these days (aside from Frontier Town) the focus is on the attractions. By the way, I have been to Kennywood in Pittsburgh, another great traditional park, and really like the Jack Rabbit and Thunderbolt. By the way, for those who don't know, the entire state of Pennsylvania is filled with relatively small amusement parks - each with their own charm. In addition to Kennywood I would also recommend Knoebel's for an old fashioned and fun experience.

Sue - I've also been on the "Giant Dipper" in San Diego. A true classic coaster! And Maverick was very good - lot's of surprises! But the Millennium Force is still my favorite and in my opinion the best steel coaster ever built. The best woodie in my opinion isn't in the state of Ohio but in Dollywood. Or is it Shivering Timbers in Michigan? Or maybe The Legend in Holiday World in Indiana? Or is it actually the Beast in Kings Island? Oh, nevermind, there are just too many good wooden coasters out there to pick one.

Sorry, I didn't mean to suddenly turn this forum into a coaster conversation!

I hope everyone is having a great week - now all this talk of cake has made me crave some of my favorite a "Sam Houston Cake" - which is a recipe from Texas. It's a very moist and thick white cake...very good!

Coasters and cake! Cool topics for summer. Thanks for all that info on coasters. It's fascinating. Makes me even want to try a coaster ride. I hesitate to admit that I've not been on one, my favorite amusement park ride being the staid "ferris wheel"!! Went on a couple of rides at Cedar Point with family, but not the coaster. I love your history of the rides. There's a great article or book to be written in there!

This cake talk is making me hungry and making think about cookbooks. Forum family favorite cakes sound like great comfort foods. Can we google Sam Houston cake too? Hoosier, of course, is chocolate. And has to be in the cookbook I hope to put together one day.

I think the forum family could throw a supernova party sometime with all these cakes! Maybe even a cookbook!

Thanks for sharing your fun-times and memories with us, Dave! Sue

PS When I was thinking about destiny, I remembered the Edwin Markham quote I love: "There's a destiny that makes us brothers, none goes his way alone. All that we send into the lives of others, comes back into our own."

Hope you all had a great Independence day and I loved hearing how everyone celebrated their own independence differently!

Dave, you're right about the wrap. It refers to the wrap of production (when the cameras and actors are involved.) We're actually having our wrap party this weekend - gives everyone a week to rest up before having to see each other again! I'm also a big fan of the roller coaster. Sounds like you are something of an aficionado.

Hey Ute, we just saw Live Free or Die Hard a couple of days ago and loved it. It was a fun throwback to the over-the-top stunt spectacular Bruce-Willis-One-Liner-extravaganza. We're looking forward to Transformers next.

Tim, I agree with you about the Behind-the-scenes bonus material on DVD's. It's GREAT! Kinda like going to film school for the price of a ticket. And I love to hear the film maker's experiences and opinions. I'm always curious how many people watch that stuff but on a DVD, it's my favorite part!!

Hey Patrick! Wow, you two made it all the way through Sea Of Fear! Hats off to you guys. I think it wanders off in the third act and doesn't come back. That would have been an amazing behind-the-scenes story if they had created that footage for the DVD. You really get to see how on-set politics influence the final product. Director Andrew Schuth did an amazing job with what he was given to work with!

Hope you all had a great Independence day and I loved hearing how everyone celebrated their own independence differently!

Dave, you're right about the wrap. It refers to the wrap of production (when the cameras and actors are involved.) We're actually having our wrap party this weekend - gives everyone a week to rest up before having to see each other again! I'm also a big fan of the roller coaster. Sounds like you are something of an aficionado.

Hey Ute, we just saw Live Free or Die Hard a couple of days ago and loved it. It was a fun throwback to the over-the-top stunt spectacular Bruce-Willis-One-Liner-extravaganza. We're looking forward to Transformers next.

Tim, I agree with you about the Behind-the-scenes bonus material on DVD's. It's GREAT! Kinda like going to film school for the price of a ticket. And I love to hear the film maker's experiences and opinions. I'm always curious how many people watch that stuff but on a DVD, it's my favorite part!!

Hey Patrick! Wow, you two made it all the way through Sea Of Fear! Hats off to you guys. I think it wanders off in the third act and doesn't come back. That would have been an amazing behind-the-scenes story if they had created that footage for the DVD. You really get to see how on-set politics influence the final product. Director Andrew Schuth did an amazing job with what he was given to work with!

And then, Dave, today I saw an article about family summer outings at amusement parks. This mentioned your Shivering Timbers in MI, noting it as the Third Best Wooden Roller Coaster of 2005. And a sister coaster is the Wolverine Wildcat. -- all this at Michigan Adventure, and apparently owned by the owners of Cedar Point. I may have been there when our kids were little, as my husband's family is all from over there, although it probably was the water park side.

Chris, thanks for the note there. Guess I got carried away too! Here's another quote (that found me yesterday) and it seems to fit the forum atmosphere since its inception: "Nurture your mind with great thoughts; to believe in the heroic makes heroes." -- Benjamin Disraeli

So on 7-7-07, wishing all of you a great weekend. Sending thoughts for beautiful midsummer blessings...Sue

Sue, What a list of cakes! Makes me hungry just reading it. And, yes, I've been on both Shivering Timbers and the Wolverine Wildcat (whose name is a bit of a contradiction in terms in my opinion, but a good coaster none the less). The park used to be called "Deer Park" before it became Michigan's Adventure and was only purchased by CedarFair, Cedar Point's parent company - which was created when Cedar Point purchased Valley Fair in Minnesota and renamed "CedarFair" - a few years ago and is now the third largest amusement park operator in the country.

And, yes Chris, I am a bit of a coaster aficionado - I stopped counting the coasters I've ridden after I reached 200...I better revisit the list and see where I stand today!

By the way, I went to see the new Disney Musical today, "High School Musical" based on the television show of the same name mostly because I will be assistant director for my play group's production of this in the fall. I'm pleased to report that the stage version is an improvement upon the television show. Though I can't really fault Disney for milking the "High School" juggernaut for all it's worth - they are in business to make money after all - I can't help but worry a little that live theatre is suffering from a lack of people willing to back new ideas...just as we seem to be seeing in Hollywood. Not sure what the answer is as audiences seem to be less and less willing to support "unknown" product. Just my little lament for today. BTW - I did enjoy the show!

I hope that everyone did have a happy 7-7-07. I wonder if a fuss will be made over 8-8-08 next year? Take care and ATP to everyone.

Dave...Thanks for writing back. Yes those all sound scrumptious! Don't know which one I'd try first. Chocolate most likely. Your enthusiasm for coasters is catching! It might be fun to try one of those old wooden ones. I'd say you truly are an aficionado! 200 plus?! You mean you did count them all once? Best wishes getting ready for your new production this fall. Did you ever say the name of your play group?

Well, 7-7-07 is now history...and 7-08 is just plain HOT! So, I'll sign off with cool thoughts and ATP wishes...Sue

Thanks for the coaster update. I'm thinking you could write the authoritative book on the subject! Enthusiasts sound like there are coaster enthusiast groups, maybe? Monroe Community Players must be quite a fun group, from the way you describe all your theater activities. Keep us posted on all that! There are some theater groups around here...Howell Community Theatre, Pinckney has a group too, and then there's Jeff Daniel's group in Chelsea and the Purple Rose Theatre. I should get their schedule. Sometimes you tend to take for granted the opportunities that are close by, thinking you'll always be able to do that anytime. But anytime seldom works out!

Of course there's Wharton at MSU...and I just remembered Dave, that Disney's High School Musical is slated for Oct. 2-7 there. Had seen it in the program for 2007-08.

Yes, it certainly is a heat wave here. Anyone in their right mind would have been at the movies today! We didn't think of it soon enough. But then we'd have to decide which one to see! Dave, are you keeping up with your summer movie list? Imagine we'll be hearing from our host on some soon. We're behind all you forum folks, as I've said before. It would take us a quantum leap to catch up! But we did enjoy Seabiscuit finally the other night on DVD. And truly loved the movie themes of synchronicity of peoples' lives meshing to accomplish great things together, while mutually enhancing their individual lives, and the inspiration for those times for the country to never consider yourself down and out. I think you could prescribe that movie as a pick-me-up to anyone who's feeling a little battered and bruised by life's circumstances. I think we've got National Treasure coming soon. But I moved a baseball movie up on the list...needing some inspiration for an article I'm working on. The Tigers are doing great right now. So we've been watching those this weekend.

So, what are the absolute MUST SEE movies this summer without waiting for Netflix? Ute said Die Hard 4, I believe. Sorry to say, we didn't get to 300 yet. The nice thing about the DVDs as everyone points out, is the wonderful background features, and yes, those are almost more fun than the movie. I was fascinated, recently too, by the background of A Beautiful Mind, which we also finally enjoyed.

Here's another quote to start the week: "All who would win joy, must share it; happiness was born a twin." -- Lord Byron

Well, it looks like we are into the "Sue and Dave" portion of the show! I presume that everyone else is busy enjoying the summer. I ended up seeing the new "Harry Potter" yesterday - it's been a long time since I've seen a theatre so packed with eager movie goers (the ushers had to actually "usher" and help people find seats!). I've seen some mixed reviews but I enjoyed it very much - one of the best wizard battles ever filmed is in this movie - but it is the sort of movie that it might help if you've read the book first. Since it is based on the longest book of the series and is the shortest film of the series a lot was left out. But, in some ways this was the most straight-forward of the movies. When you leave out subplots things tend to move along at a brisk pace! Anyway, I'll be interested in hearing everyone else's opinion as you all see it.

Let's see what's next on this summer's hit parade...Hairspray? Or should I wait for the Simpsons?

Dave

PS - by the way Sue, I will be in your neck of the woods this weekend and Chris's college alma mater (Michigan State) for a Community Theatre Association of Michigan board meeting.

Yes, I wondered if it would look like the "Dave and Sue" show on stage here. Do you think we’re entertaining enough? ... Summer is fleeting, and I'm sure you're right about everyone enjoying it. Besides vacations, lots of family events, I bet. Such as our weekend involving a baby shower for our niece on my side of the family and my father-in-law flying back from a visit to his other son in Minnesota. To pick him up at Howell airport. (Seeing the planes there makes me wonder how our forum host is doing with flying lessons.)

Howell and Harry Potter are big news this week as Howell is claiming to have the biggest Potter Bash, while Monroe says theirs is. Front-page news in county paper yesterday! Dave, what do you think? Have fun at the board meeting at MSU (tell us all about it) and pick up a Wharton schedule if you don't have one. Lots of good stuff in 07-08. Hope I get to some of it. Perhaps the alma mater person might be home for something there…I’m thinking of a fan bash for a certain film we’re all anxious to see…

A beautiful, wild & wonderful summer weekend to everyone. May it simmer with ATP! Sue

Hi Dave, Sue (and the rest of the Forum Family!)Looks like the two of you are very capable of keeping this forum alive in everyone elses' absence- keep it going, you are doing great! Guess that's what happens during summer breaks or in general during certain times in our lives. We get caught up with it so much and after all there is only so many hours in a day- I wanna be a cat in my next life and get an extra nine lives more! For now let's assume it is summer activities that is keeping us busy as the coasters & cakes sound very good!We are having the first summerish weekend in ages here. Temperature rised from a moderate 15 degrees C last week to a 30 today! But, as common for the Netherlands, we will most likely have rain on Monday again. ;)

@Adrian- belated compliments on the fan contributions there. I especially adored the mannequin scene but that's just me. I am finishing up on a costume right now myself and it had been a while so I'd forgotten just how much I enjoy that. Hurrah for creativity- isn't it the best outlet for any mood? I do not know just how many crane birds there are on display there but did you know a thousand of them bring good luck?!

The whole topic issue of indepence could not have come at a more appropiate time for me personally. I guess you could say I am finding myself in a rollercoaster of emotions right now and it isn't all fun. But I do know each bump in the ride is another step towards independance so that's what I'm aiming at. Besides, once you hit the track you hardly have a choice, right.